SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern are discussed in this article. Candidates planning to appear for Prelims and Mains Examination 2025 must plan an effective preparation strategy with updated syllabus, exam pattern. SBI PO Syllabus for Prelims and Mains Examination include English, Reasoning, Maths, DI, Computer Aptitude, and General Awareness section.
The syllabus is the initial point at which a candidate starts to prepare for any exam. For the candidates who have been preparing for the Exam, this article could be beneficial as here we have shared an updated syllabus, exam pattern, and other important information. Recently, SBI has introduced some changes to the both Prelims and Mains exam pattern and it is very important for the candidates familiarize with all the changes for which SBI PO Syllabus will help a lot.
SBI PO Syllabus 2025
To score well in SBI PO Exam, all candidates should be aware of the SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern. It is crucial to know the structure of the exam and the syllabus and subject-wise topics that need to be prepared in and out. The exam is conducted in 3 stages: Prelims and Mains, and the difficulty level increases after the interview and prelims and mains exams. Those who qualify the Prelims exam will appear for the Mains exam.
SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025
The candidates who will be applying for the exam firstly should know the SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern to start their preparations for the exam. With the help of the syllabus, candidates can prepare efficiently and effectively for the exam. Candidates can also know the exam pattern through this article which will help them to understand the important topics and their weightage in the exam. The syllabus and the exam pattern can help candidates boost their preparations and help them prepare well for the exam which will increase their chances of selection.
| SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2025 | |
| Exam Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Post | Probationary Officer (PO) |
| Selection Process |
|
| Marks Segregation SBI PO Exam |
|
| Duration of Exam |
|
| Marking scheme | 1 mark each for every correct answer in the Online Test |
| Negative marking | 1/4th of the marks assigned to the question in MCQ |
| Mode of Examination | Online For Paper I and Paper II |
| Language of examination | Bilingual (English OR Hindi)
English Language paper has to be attempted in English. |
| Sectional Cut off | Prelims: No Mains: Yes |
SBI PO Selection Process 2025
The SBI PO selection process is divided into three main stages and after that, the final selection is made. These stages include:
- Prelims Stage: This is the first round of the recruitment process, where the candidates appear in an online objective test. This test includes three sections: English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. The candidates will be shortlisted based on the cut-off for the main examination.
- Mains Stage: The second stage includes an objective and descriptive test. The description test consists of 50 marks, which will be conducted consecutively to the objective test. The candidates will be short-listed based on the merit list.
- Psychometric Test and Interview: This test will be conducted to test the personality profile of the candidates. Those who qualify will be called for the final selection and interview round.
SBI PO Exam Pattern 2025 (Revised)
As per the latest updates, the SBI PO Exam Pattern 2025 has been revised and significant changes have been made in the exam structure. The distribution of marks for Prelims and Mains has been changed. However, the total marks for each stage remain the same. From this year, candidates will have to qualify for all three stages: Prelims, Mains and Interview round. The Prelims exam will remain of qualifying nature and while declaring the merit list, the marks obtained in Mains and Interview round will be taken into consideration.
SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2025
The highlights of the SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2025 are as follows:
- There will be three sections.
- A Category-wise merit list will be drawn based on the aggregate marks scored in the Preliminary Exam.
- There will be no sectional cut-off. However, there will be an overall cut-off.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.
| SBI PO Exam Pattern 2025 for Prelims (Revised) | ||||
| S.No. | Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 1 hour | |
SBI PO Mains Exam Pattern 2025
This main paper will have four sections for a total of 200 marks and the duration of the SBI PO Mains exam will be 3 hours. The duration of the descriptive test is 30 minutes for which there will be 50 marks. This exam has a cutoff system based on sections. A penalty of 0.25 marks will be charged for each wrong answer given by the candidates. The assessment assesses the writing ability of the candidates by asking them to write both letters and essays.
| SBI PO Exam Pattern 2025: Mains (Revised) | ||||
| Test | Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Duration |
| I | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 minutes |
| II | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| III | General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| IV | English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 170 | 200 | 3 hours | |
| Descriptive Paper | ||||
| Communication Skills: Emails, Reports, Situation Analysis & Precis Writing | – | 50 | 30 minutes | |
| Grand Total | 250 | – | ||
Note: The descriptive paper of a candidate will be checked only if they qualify in the Objective test as per the qualifying marks decided by the Bank
SBI PO Syllabus 2025 for Prelims Exam
Students need two months to prepare for the SBI PO Prelims 2025 syllabus as it has some components. If students give proper time to practice and prepare themselves, they will be successful. The subjects covered for the exam are English and Reasoning Validation and Quantitative Analytics. The detailed syllabus, section wise, is shown in the following table.
| SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2025 | ||
| Reasoning | Quantitative Aptitude | English Language |
| Logical Reasoning | Simplification | Reading Comprehension |
| Alphanumeric Series | Profit & Loss | Cloze Test |
| Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test | Mixtures & Allegations | Para jumbles |
| Data Sufficiency | Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices | Miscellaneous |
| Coded Inequalities | Work & Time | Fill in the blanks |
| Seating Arrangement | Time & Distance | Multiple Meaning/Error Spotting |
| Puzzle | Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere | Paragraph Completion |
| Tabulation | Data Interpretation | Vocabulary |
| Syllogism | Ratio & Proportion, Percentage | Sentence Improvement |
| Blood Relations | Number Systems | Word Association |
| Input-Output | Sequence & Series | Error Spotting |
| Coding-Decoding | Permutation, Combination &Probability | Verbal Ability |
SBI PO Syllabus 2025 for Mains Exam
The SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2025 comprises four sections:
- Data Analysis & Interpretation
- Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
- General/Economy/Banking Awareness
- English Language
- The SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2025 also includes a descriptive test. The descriptive test consists of two questions, one letter writing and one essay, each carrying 25 marks, i.e. a total of 50 marks.
- To qualify for the SBI PO Mains exam, candidates must also score a passing score in the descriptive test.
The complete syllabus is discussed below:
SBI PO Mains Syllabus for Data Interpretation and Analysis
The Data Analysis section covers the following topics:
- Tabular Graph,
- Line Graph,
- Pie Chart,
- Bar Graph,
- Radar Graph Case-let,
- Missing Case DI,
- Let it Case DI,
- Data Sufficiency,
- Probability,
- Permutation and Combination
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2025 for Reasoning
The Reasoning section includes the following topics:
- Verbal Reasoning,
- Syllogism,
- Circular Seating Arrangement,
- Linear Seating Arrangement,
- Double Lineup,
- Scheduling,
- Input-Output,
- Blood Relations,
- Directions and Distances,
- Ordering and Ranking,
- Data Sufficiency,
- Coding and Decoding,
- Coded Inequalities,
- The course of Action,
- Critical Reasoning,
- Analytical and Decision Making
SBI PO Mains Syllabus for English Language
The English Language section includes the following topics:
- Reading Comprehension,
- Grammar,
- Vocabulary,
- Verbal Ability,
- Word Association,
- Sentence Improvement,
- Para Jumbles,
- Cloze Test,
- Error Spotting,
- Fill in the blanks
SBI PO Mains Syllabus for General Awareness/ Economy/ Banking Awareness
The Economics department includes the following topics:
- Financial Awareness
- Current Affairs
- General Knowledge
- Static Awareness
- Banking and Financial Awareness
SBI PO Mains Syllabus for Computer Aptitude
The Computer Aptitude section includes the following topics:
- Internet,
- Memory,
- Keyboard Shortcuts,
- Computer Abbreviation,
- Microsoft Office,
- Computer Hardware,
- Computer Software,
- Operating System,
- Networking,
- Computer Fundamentals/ Terminologies
SBI PO Descriptive Test
During the SBI PO Descriptive Paper candidates receive 30 minutes to complete two tasks of letter writing and essay writing resulting in 50 marks. To be eligible for the interview stage candidates have to qualify for the preliminary and main exams. The final merit list is decided on the basis of marks obtained in both the main exam and the interview.
SBI PO Marking Scheme 2025
Information about SBI PO Marking Scheme 2025 for candidates is given in the table below. This will help them to calculate the marks after appearing in the prelims exam.
| SBI PO Marking Scheme 2025 | |
| Section | Marking Scheme |
| Objective Test |
|
| Descriptive Test |
|
SBI PO Interview 2025
Psychometric Test- The Bank may conduct a Psychometric test for personality profiling of those candidates who will be shortlisted for Phase III. The findings of the test may be placed before the Interview panel to have a thorough perspective on the candidates.
The group discussion marks the last phase where those who passed the initial two SBI PO testing stages have the chance to become candidates. Both the group discussion component carries 20 marks and the interview component carries 30 marks.
- The aggregate marks of all the candidates who have passed both the Objective Test and the Descriptive Test will be arranged in descending order in each category.
- The number of candidates from each category as decided by the Bank will be called for Group Exercise and Interview.
- The qualifying marks in Group Discussion and Interview will be decided by the Bank.
SBI PO 2025 Final Selection
The final score of SBI PO exam is calculated taking into account the following points:
- Marks secured in the Preliminary Exam (Phase-1) will not be considered for selection
- Candidates must qualify for Phase-2 and Phase-3 separately to be eligible
- Marks secured by the candidates in the SBI PO Mains Exam (out of 250 marks) are converted to out of 75, and marks secured in Group Exercises & Interview (out of 50 marks) are converted to out of 25. This makes the new total score (Mains + GD/PI) to be 100
- The aggregate score out of 100 is used for the final merit list for each category. Candidates with top merit rank in each category are finally selected.
How to Prepare with SBI PO 2025 Syllabus?
SBI PO Syllabus 2025 is important for candidates to prepare for the exam. Candidates who are appearing for the SBI PO Prelims 2025 exam for the first time should read the important SBI PO preparation tips discussed below.
- The syllabus outlines specific topics and sections for the preliminary exam: English Language, Numerical Aptitude, and Reasoning.
- It helps in creating a structured study plan by dividing the exam content into manageable sections, ensuring that all important topics are systematically covered.
- By highlighting the key topics in each section, the syllabus helps candidates to prioritize their studies based on the importance and difficulty of the topic.
- Understanding the syllabus allows candidates to select the right practice materials and SBI PO mock tests, which align their practice with the actual exam pattern.
- Practice SBI PO previous year question papers to understand the past trends of the exam.
